Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on Palestine, has criticized states that have supported Israel’s actions in Gaza, urging the development of a new multilateral system to prevent similar atrocities from occurring in the future.
Albanese presented her report titled “Gaza Genocide: a collective crime” to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday. She addressed the assembly remotely from the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa. In her address, she described the situation in Gaza as one of “strangulation, starvation, and destruction.” The 24-page document examines the role of 63 states in Israel’s operations in both Gaza and the West Bank, accusing the multilateral system of decades of moral and political failure in upholding justice under a colonial global order sustained by complicity.
According to Albanese, many states have contributed to the establishment and protection of Israel’s militarized apartheid regime. This has allowed its settler colonial enterprise to develop into what she calls genocide, the most severe crime against the indigenous population of Palestine. She emphasized that this outcome was facilitated through unlawful actions and omissions, including diplomatic support in international institutions meant to maintain peace, military cooperation such as arms sales and joint training exercises, and the weaponization of aid.
The report also highlights the role of trade with entities like the European Union, which has sanctioned Russia over its actions in Ukraine but continues to engage in business with Israel. Additionally, it criticizes the United States for providing “diplomatic cover” to Israel, using its veto power at the UN Security Council seven times and controlling ceasefire negotiations. Other Western nations were accused of supporting Israel through abstentions, delays, and watered-down resolutions, reinforcing a misleading narrative of “balance.”
Many countries have continued supplying arms to Israel despite mounting evidence of genocide, the report notes. It points to the $26.4 billion defense package approved by the US Congress for Israel, just as the country threatened to invade Rafah—a move previously considered a “red line” by the Biden administration.
Germany, the second-largest arms exporter to Israel during the conflict, is cited for supplying weapons ranging from frigates to torpedoes. The United Kingdom is also named for conducting over 600 surveillance missions over Gaza since October 2023. While acknowledging the complexity of regional geopolitics, the report also criticizes Arab and Muslim states for their complicity through normalization agreements with Israel brokered by the United States.
Egypt, for example, is noted for maintaining significant security and economic ties with Israel, including energy cooperation and the closure of the Rafah crossing during the war. Albanese also called attention to the U.S. sanctions imposed on her earlier this year for criticizing Israel’s actions in Palestine, which prevented her from attending the UNGA in person.
“These measures constitute an assault on the UN itself, its independence, its integrity, and its very soul,” she said. “If left unchallenged, these sanctions will drive yet another nail into the coffin of the multilateral system.”
The report asserts that the Gaza genocide has exposed a deep divide between people and their governments, undermining the trust essential for global peace and security. Albanese urged the UNGA to adopt a new form of multilateralism—one that is not merely symbolic but a living framework grounded in rights and dignity for all.
She concluded by referencing past actions taken against rogue states like South Africa, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and Portugal, arguing that these examples demonstrate that international law can be enforced to achieve justice and self-determination.
Arabic 
English 